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Friday, 26 April 2013

Seven Quick Takes 3: Beauty and Good Stories

----1----

So I have come to the conclusion that my blog lacks beauty. I originally decided I didn't want to post pictures, because it's so much easier to post pictures than actually write. I know how tempting it is to post a cheery 'Here you go- A thousand words' to disguise my real message of 'I'm too lazy or sleepy to gather my thoughts and write a real blog post'. But then Grace said she doesn't read blogs without pictures, so I gave up my high-minded principles. Here's beauty (Free haiku included):

Outside my window

Who would guess

Chaos lies below?

---2---

Something I usually enjoy getting from blogs I read are links to interesting or well-written articles... with a good description that gives me a reson to click on the link. Jennifer Fulwiler often does it, and even has another website completely devoted to links.

Matthew Archbold doesn't usually write a lot of personal stories. This is an encounter he had with real Christian love at a train station in the South (of America). It's the kind of story you can't stop yourself from describing as 'heartwarming'. A real story, real people, real Christianity. This is where theology stops being something you read about, and something you start living. I wish more Catholics would write like this. I wish I did.

---3---

Speaking of telling good stories, nothing beats reading aloud to a bunch of wide-eyed, fascinated kids. Yup, it was story time with our crazy slum summer club children. I think I would like to be a professional storyteller. It's a little bit like weaving magic spells (you know, the good non-evil type of magic) and drawing children into another world. I love watching their expressions as they unconsciously mimic mine.

Notice all the brown-skinned characters I put in? Why do all our storybooks and fairies and princesses have white skin? Even 'skin colour' in crayon boxes is peach! Not MY skin colour!

What do you do when you are out of food, and you're willing to be creative (and humble)? Throw a Stone Soup party, of course! This is an easily readable real life parable, and with a message so apt for people trying to follow Jesus: "I used to think that I had to put on my best thoughts and feelings before I talked to Jesus. Sort of like putting on a nice dress to go to church. I didn't dare talk to Jesus when I was angry, bitter, put out or feeling stepped on...."

"I gave Jesus my smallest, meanest prayer to have a better relationship with Person X," I said. "The poorer the prayer the more He responds with grace and spiritual gifts!"

I'm the queen of small, mean prayers, so I know exactly what she's talking about.

---5---

Okay, more beauty.

This is where I'm heading with my family to escape the summer heat. It's every bit as cool and refreshing and green as it looks. Oh yeah.

Another story about Christianity in real life with a helping of small, mean prayers- and 'the fingerprints of God are all over this situation'. Annoying kids who ring the doorbell as a prank to annoy tired mother. Who'd have thunk God could forge a beautiful friendship out of that?

---7---

What, we aren't done yet? Looks like I'm going to have start using my camera a little more often. Okay, number 7 is for you.

Do you have any favourite stories out there on the world wide web? The ones I've used are stories I saved years ago, and pulled out of my dusty 'Good Reads' folder just for you. Do you have any I can add?

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Namaste!

I'm Sue, a thirty-one year old urban Indian Catholic who loves words, talks too much, hates adventures and and yet is on the Grand Quest of Learning to Love.

Introversion and introspection, opinions about love, romance and marriage, big families, socially awkward situations, being Catholic in a pluralistic society, feeling like a foreigner in my own country and theology broken down... welcome to this INTJ's world.